339 S Ashley, January 1977
My part of in the story of this house's last thirty years is briefly told here.
This webpage is in response to the Ann Arbor Observer article which made my
finances, and particularly my tax history, public in a somewhat confused and
embarassing manner. It is also partly in response to Destiny-98 using this distorted
picture of the facts to denigrate my ability to handle my finances, repeatedly asserting
(in e-mails and conversations with myself and my attorney, Scott Munzel) that this
somehow justified their taking and retaining my home, dismissing my attempts to buy
it back at a reasonble, rather than extortionate, price. Relevant portions of a letter I
wrote correcting some facts and explaining the real circumstances that resulted in my
becoming so financially entangled can be seen here.
The impression about myself the Observer article left in the community is pretty well
captured in this quote about Bear Stearns' recent self destruction. Quoting the New
York Times, 03-15-08, "F.D.R.’s Safety Net Gets a Big Stretch" :
<<Mr. Schwartz, Bear’s chief, says his firm remains solvent. But such assurances are
seldom credited during panics. As Walter Bagehot, the British financial journalist,
wrote in “Lombard Street,” a 19th-century book on the monetary system, “Every
banker knows that if he has to prove that he is worthy of credit, however good may be
his arguments, in fact his credit is gone>>
Much of the willingness of people to help financially has disappeared. I can't blame
people for that...it was only natural.
It bears (deliberate pun) saying here that Bear Stearns was involved in the tax lien
business. One of their (former) Senior Managing Directors, John Garzone, is currently
the president of the National Tax Lien Association, of which Douglas Q Gale is a
member and was the Treasurer at the time of his foreclosure on 1960 S Maple.
Needless to say, Mr Garzone no longer has a position at Bear Stearns.
This webpage is in response to the Ann Arbor Observer article which made my
finances, and particularly my tax history, public in a somewhat confused and
embarassing manner. It is also partly in response to Destiny-98 using this distorted
picture of the facts to denigrate my ability to handle my finances, repeatedly asserting
(in e-mails and conversations with myself and my attorney, Scott Munzel) that this
somehow justified their taking and retaining my home, dismissing my attempts to buy
it back at a reasonble, rather than extortionate, price. Relevant portions of a letter I
wrote correcting some facts and explaining the real circumstances that resulted in my
becoming so financially entangled can be seen here.
The impression about myself the Observer article left in the community is pretty well
captured in this quote about Bear Stearns' recent self destruction. Quoting the New
York Times, 03-15-08, "F.D.R.’s Safety Net Gets a Big Stretch" :
<<Mr. Schwartz, Bear’s chief, says his firm remains solvent. But such assurances are
seldom credited during panics. As Walter Bagehot, the British financial journalist,
wrote in “Lombard Street,” a 19th-century book on the monetary system, “Every
banker knows that if he has to prove that he is worthy of credit, however good may be
his arguments, in fact his credit is gone>>
Much of the willingness of people to help financially has disappeared. I can't blame
people for that...it was only natural.
It bears (deliberate pun) saying here that Bear Stearns was involved in the tax lien
business. One of their (former) Senior Managing Directors, John Garzone, is currently
the president of the National Tax Lien Association, of which Douglas Q Gale is a
member and was the Treasurer at the time of his foreclosure on 1960 S Maple.
Needless to say, Mr Garzone no longer has a position at Bear Stearns.
Synopsis:
In 1976 I was running a small building/remodeling company and took on the job of
converting a large house (339 S Ashley, behind what was then the downtown Elk's
Club) into three upper story apartments and office suites on the first floor.
The house had been used as a rooming house and the conversion was a major
project involving a complete redesign of the interior layout to incorporate kitchens
and bathrooms for the projected apartments.
The night before the framing inspection for the second and third (attic) floors was
scheduled, the steam boiler in the basement ran dry, overheated and started a fire.
The fire ran up through the building, going almost out of control when it reached
the open framing of the second and third floors...
Literally overnight, we went from working on a job reasonably large for our
resources, to one easily four, five times bigger. With perfect hindsight, I now know I
should not have taken on the task of re-building the house. I grossly
underestimated the cost, the consequent debacle leading to the cascade of bills,
lawsuits and payroll tax debts that I have had to struggle to bring under control for
decades.
It became a game of financial whack-a-mole, never successful mostly for my own
lack of experience or the advice of a mentor. Eventually, it poisoned all my
finances, while I held on, waiting until the Federal tax liens tolled.
All of the financial complexities of my life, the most visible being my various tax
problems focused on in the Observer article, can all be traced back to this fire...
In 1976 I was running a small building/remodeling company and took on the job of
converting a large house (339 S Ashley, behind what was then the downtown Elk's
Club) into three upper story apartments and office suites on the first floor.
The house had been used as a rooming house and the conversion was a major
project involving a complete redesign of the interior layout to incorporate kitchens
and bathrooms for the projected apartments.
The night before the framing inspection for the second and third (attic) floors was
scheduled, the steam boiler in the basement ran dry, overheated and started a fire.
The fire ran up through the building, going almost out of control when it reached
the open framing of the second and third floors...
Literally overnight, we went from working on a job reasonably large for our
resources, to one easily four, five times bigger. With perfect hindsight, I now know I
should not have taken on the task of re-building the house. I grossly
underestimated the cost, the consequent debacle leading to the cascade of bills,
lawsuits and payroll tax debts that I have had to struggle to bring under control for
decades.
It became a game of financial whack-a-mole, never successful mostly for my own
lack of experience or the advice of a mentor. Eventually, it poisoned all my
finances, while I held on, waiting until the Federal tax liens tolled.
All of the financial complexities of my life, the most visible being my various tax
problems focused on in the Observer article, can all be traced back to this fire...
Link to location of 339 S Ashley and it's
present location using Google Earth
(you must be on line and have Google Earth
installed. Look in the Temporary Places
folder of the Places window after the file and
program has opened.)
present location using Google Earth
(you must be on line and have Google Earth
installed. Look in the Temporary Places
folder of the Places window after the file and
program has opened.)
Photos and more history:
(in process)
(click photos to enlarge)
(in process)
(click photos to enlarge)
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Before the fire:
Very few pictures remain of the
building before the fire:
Very few pictures remain of the
building before the fire:
The first floor S.W. room below
which the fire started.
ABC on the phone, Sadie, the dog,
being patient...
which the fire started.
ABC on the phone, Sadie, the dog,
being patient...
The following pictures are
in the same rooms, not
always quite the same point
of view...before and after
the fire.
in the same rooms, not
always quite the same point
of view...before and after
the fire.
South East apartment...
Through the roof.
Through the roof.
North East apartment...
West apartment that ran across the
front width of the house...
front width of the house...
And then we re-built...
Next page...
Next page...
Looking down from the loft into the
SE corner of the West apartment...
SE corner of the West apartment...
Last revised 03-15-2010
All blue highlighted text links to
additional notes and information
All blue highlighted text links to
additional notes and information
"Just because something is
legal, doesn't mean it's
right..."
legal, doesn't mean it's
right..."
Here is why...
This page is being
worked on...
worked on...
For a brief
summary
go to this
link...
After the fire and reconstruction, 'The BurnOut's' unusual history
continued.
When the city acquired all the properties on the northeast corner
of Williams and Ashley in the late 1980's with the intention of
putting up a parking structure, all of the buildings were slated to
be demolished.
Several groups advocating for low income housing vigorously
opposed the planned demolition. All five (?) houses served low
income residents and the city had no plans to replace the units
that would be lost.
Eventually, after much acrimony, a compromise was reached. It
was agreed to save 339 since it was in the best condition (as a
result of the rebuilding after the fire). The proposal to simply move
it across the street to the contaminated former site of Metric
Motors failed. The remediation costs were and are still considered
prohibitive; the lot remains empty.
The land on the southeast corner was acquired and the building
successfully moved to the new lot where it remains as 201 W
Williams, the first property acquired by Avalon Housing, a local,
non-profit acquiring, developing and maintaining low income
rental properties for the benefit of the residents of Washtenaw
County.
The former location of 339 S Ashley is now part of a city owned
surface parking lot. For all the pain 339 has caused me, it is still
gratifying to know that my work still stands, essentially as it was
rebuilt, and serves a good purpose.
continued.
When the city acquired all the properties on the northeast corner
of Williams and Ashley in the late 1980's with the intention of
putting up a parking structure, all of the buildings were slated to
be demolished.
Several groups advocating for low income housing vigorously
opposed the planned demolition. All five (?) houses served low
income residents and the city had no plans to replace the units
that would be lost.
Eventually, after much acrimony, a compromise was reached. It
was agreed to save 339 since it was in the best condition (as a
result of the rebuilding after the fire). The proposal to simply move
it across the street to the contaminated former site of Metric
Motors failed. The remediation costs were and are still considered
prohibitive; the lot remains empty.
The land on the southeast corner was acquired and the building
successfully moved to the new lot where it remains as 201 W
Williams, the first property acquired by Avalon Housing, a local,
non-profit acquiring, developing and maintaining low income
rental properties for the benefit of the residents of Washtenaw
County.
The former location of 339 S Ashley is now part of a city owned
surface parking lot. For all the pain 339 has caused me, it is still
gratifying to know that my work still stands, essentially as it was
rebuilt, and serves a good purpose.
The consequent history of
339 S Ashley:
339 S Ashley:
201 W Williams today